Sewing-machine and looper therefor.



R. G. WOODWARD.

SEWING MACHINE AND LOOPBR THEREFOR.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 22, 1902.

1,121,219. Patented De0.15,1914.

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R. G. WOODWARD.

SEWING MACHINE AND LOOPER THEREFOR.

h APPLICATION FILED JULY 23. 1902.

1,121,219. Patented Dec. 15,1914.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RUSSEL G. WOODWARD, 0F WAUKEGAN, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO UNION SPECIAL MACHINE COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

SEWING-MACHINE AND LOOPER THEREFOR.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RUSSEL G. VVOODWARD, a citizen of the United States, residing at VVaukegan, in the county of Lake, State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sewing-Machines and Loopers Therefor, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon.

My invention relates to sewing machines,

and particularly to machines in which a plurality of reciprocating needles are employed in connection with an under thread carrier or looper. The object of the invention is to provide a construction of looper which shall present its point at equal distance from the rear of each needle during its forward travel across the line of the seam, and so constructed as to hold the needle loops back on the looper to prevent their slipping off too rapidly, and to old them separated from each other, so as to make the desirable stitch known as the Union Special-twin needle stitch, in which one needle catches the looper thread in the descent of the needle, while the other does not; as distinguished from the Union Special vamping stitch, in which both needles engage the looper thread as they descend.

The invention is especially applicable to a machine of the type known as the Union Special Side IVheel Twin Needle Machine, illustrated in Patent No. 583,415, when provided with the arrangement of thread controlling mechanism illustrated in my Patent No. 908,434, granted December 29th, 1908, which is especially useful for covering seams, and in which the threads are slackwhile the feed is taking place.

The invention, therefore, consists generally of a looper so constructed as to accomplish the objects aimed at, and in the matters hereinafter described and referred to in the appended claims.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a sewing machine, embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a view showing the relation of the needles and looper, when the looper has passed into the needle loops; Fig. 3 is a view, showing the relation of the needles and looper as the looper has just receded from theright hand Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 23, 1902. Serial No. 116,622.

or less diagrammatically a portion of the looper operating mechanism.

In these drawings, A represents the frame of the machine, B its base, C the needle bar lever, and D the cylindrical casing or bed plate, with feeding device working longitudinally thereof.-

The needle bar carrying the two needles (1, a, is driven in the usual way, and a' single looper L cooperates with the needles to make the usual twin needle stitch. The looper operating mechanism is the same as that shown in Patent No. 583,415, above men tioned. Said looper L, as shown in Fig. 7 is carried by a looper shaft L, to which is attached a yoke L This yoke has a laterally extendmg arm L, which carries a ball stud attached to an eccentric strap cooperating with an eccentric L* on the shaft L". The looper shaft L is moved endwise by a lever L which is itself connected to the yoke L by a link L.

The thread controlling mechanism comprises the usual thread controller operated by the pressor bar of the machine, suitable eyelets, an intermittent nipping device E, and a pull-off F between the nipping device and the tensions for pulling off thread as the needles are moving down, so that when the feed takes place ample slack will be provided so there will be nostrain between the needle rows as to leave a ridge or cord between them. A pull-up G for the left hand needle thread is also provided, which enables the left hand needle. loop to be formed before the right hand needle loop. Said pull up as shown in the drawing, consists of a. post having its upper end bent laterally and lying in the path of the left hand needle thread, whereby said needle thread is caught by said post and pulled up as above noted. The right hand needle thread however, does not engage said post. This pull-up forms no part of my present invention as the same is shown, described and claimed in my Patent No. 908,434, above referred to.

The looper L is attached to a rocking and .needle a.

' looper.

sliding shaft, and is operated in the manner set fo'rti; in Patent No. 583,415, above mentioned.

The looper has its point, 1, very slightly deflected from the body of the looper and directly in the rear of said point, the looper is curved so as to resent the concave face of said curved portion to the needles as the looper moves into the needle loops.' The outer face of said looper will be formed with a slight convex surface. The under surface of said looper is provided with a shoulder 3. As the looper moves forward into the loop of thread formed by the needle a, it is given a sidewise movement and the timing of the parts is such that the pointof the looper 1 moves very close to the right hand side of the needle a, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing. Owing to the concave portion of the looper directly in rear of the point, said looper may be caused to move forward into engagement with the needle loop of the needle a, while little or no lateral movement is given to said looper. The concave portion in the rear of the point of the looper forms a clearance space for the It will thus be seen that by the present construction of the looper having a concave face directly in rear of the point thereof, that said point may be moved very close to both of said needles on the forward movement of said looper and all liability of skipping stitches is avoided. After the point of the looper has entered the'loop of thread carried by the needle a, the shoulder 3 serves to place a tension upon said loop and retard slightly the free slipping of the loop back upon saidlooper. As soon as however, the looper is sutficiently into this needle loop, said loop will slip over the shoulder back upon the body portion of the The shoulder 3 operates in precisely the same way on the needle thread carried by the needle a, and thus it will be seen that said shoulder 3 serves to separate the needle loops as the looper moves into the same. When the looper is being retracted from the needle loops, the shoulder 3 will also operate for the same reason, to separate the needle loops allowing first one and then the other to snap over said shoulder 3. This separating of the needle loops by the shoulder 3 properly positions said loops so that the needle a on its return stroke enters the triangle formed by the body of the'looper,.

the point of the looper. The essential function of the shoulder 3 is to separate the needle loops at the proper time, so that the nee:

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a sewing machine having stitchforming mechanism including a plurality of needles, and a single looper with means for reciprocating it in the direction of its length, and oscillating it transversely of its longitudinal reciprocation, said looper havin a concave face in the rear of its point, said concave face being located adjacent said needles on the forward movement of said looper, whereby the point of said looper may be caused to pass close to both needles; substantially as described.

2. A looper for a multiple needle sewing machine comprising an eye pointed loo engaging portion, said looper havin a s oulder on its under face in rear of nd adjacent the eye in said looper for separating the needle loops as they are shed from the looper.

3. In a sewing machine having stitchforming mechanism including a plurality of needles, and a single looper with means for reciprocating it in the direction of its length, and oscillating it transversely of its longi tudinal reciprocation, said looper being provided with means for separatlng the needle loops on said looper and allowing said loops to slip off the looper at diiferent periods of time and for holding said loops separated until the points of the needle have passed said loops.

4:. In a sewing machine having stitchforming mechanism includinga plurality oi needles, and a single looper with means for a reciprocating it in the direction of its length, and oscillating it transversely of its longitudinal reciprocation, said looper being provided with a shoulder on its under face adapted to retard and separate the needle loops, and hold said loops separated until the points of the needles have passedsaid loops, whereby one needle loop will slip oif from said shoulder and the looper point after the other.

5. In a sewing machine having stitchforming mechanism including a plurality of needles, and a single looper with means for reciprocating it in the direction of its length, and oscillating it transversely of its longitudinal reciprocation, said looper being 0 formed with a concave face in the rear of its point forming a clearance space for the needles and a shoulder on the under face for retarding and separating the needle loops.

6. A looper for a multiple needle sewing machine comprising an eye pointed loop engaging portion, the face of the looper adjacent its point being provided with a concave clearance space on the side thereof next to the needles when said looper is positioned for entering the'needle loops, said looper also having a shoulder on the under face in rear of and adjacent the eye in said looper for separating the needle loops.

7. In a sewing machine having a stitchforming mechanism including a plurality of needles, and a single looper with means for reciprocating it in the direction of its length,

needles have passed said loops; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

RUSSEL G. WOODWARD.

Witnesses CHESTER McNEIL, EMMA KERN. 

